Decoupling Point Weight Measurement for Hopper Particulates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring low density particulate materials in hoppers are inaccurate and costly due to the need for high-resolution weighing systems, as they require weighing entire mechanisms, including heavy structural components, and are unreliable for materials that clump or become airborne, leading to incomplete measurement of product weight and flow rates.
Innovation Solution
A system that weighs only the product and its container, utilizing a 'decoupling point' where the material's weight is fully supported by the vessel, allowing for accurate measurement of flow rates without the burden of heavy structural weights, and maintaining consistency across repeated runs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the entire mechanism (hopper, feed mechanism, and supporting structure) is weighed to determine product weight, then the measurement integrates all components, but the weight of the mechanism is many times the weight of the product, requiring very high resolution weighing systems which increases cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The weighing system is segmented into two parts: the heavy mechanism (hopper, feed mechanism, supporting structure) is excluded from the weighing, and only the product weight is measured. This is achieved by supporting the mechanism on a fixed surface while allowing the product-containing vessel to be weighed separately, thereby eliminating the need for high-resolution weighing of the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The heavy mechanism components are extracted from the weighing system. By decoupling the product weight measurement from the mechanism weight, the system only measures the product weight directly, removing the burden of measuring and differentiating small product weight changes from the much larger mechanism weight.
2Ease of operation
If the height of the product is measured using a level detector, then the measurement is simpler, but it is unreliable for materials that clump, scatter, or become airborne, leading to incomplete measurement of product volume
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical level detection system is replaced with a weighing-based measurement system. Instead of using a level detector that relies on product settling, the system uses weight measurement which is independent of product flow characteristics, clumping, or airborne behavior, thereby providing reliable measurement for all particulate materials.
3Measurement precision
If a high-resolution weighing system is used to measure product weight in the entire mechanism, then accurate product weight measurement is achieved, but the cost and complexity of the system increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The weighing system is segmented to measure only the product weight rather than the entire mechanism. By supporting the heavy mechanism on a fixed surface and weighing only the product-containing vessel, the system achieves accurate product weight measurement with a lower-resolution, more cost-effective weighing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The heavy mechanism weight is extracted from the measurement system. By decoupling the product weight measurement from the mechanism weight, the system uses a less expensive weighing system that only needs to measure product weight, eliminating the need for high-resolution weighing of the entire expensive mechanism.
4Productivity
If the weight of the entire system is measured to determine flow rate, then the measurement is comprehensive, but the resolution required to detect small changes in product weight against the heavy mechanism weight becomes impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The flow rate measurement system is segmented to measure only the product weight changes. By excluding the heavy mechanism from the weighing system and measuring only the product-containing vessel, the system achieves practical resolution for detecting small product weight changes over time, enabling accurate flow rate measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism weight is extracted from the measurement system. By measuring only the product weight rather than the total system weight, the system achieves sufficient resolution to detect small changes in product weight over time, enabling practical and accurate flow rate measurement without requiring impractical high-resolution weighing of the entire heavy system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides improved measurement accuracy and reliability, reducing costs by eliminating the need for high-resolution weight monitoring and ensuring consistent flow rate measurements with minimal variation, even across varying bulk densities and decouple volumes.
Implementation Method 1
a 'decoupling point' where the material's weight is fully supported by the vessel
Implementation Method 2
weighs only the product and its container, utilizing a 'decoupling point' where the material's weight is fully supported by the vessel
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus or method for weighing and/or measuring the flow rate of quantity of a particulate flowing out of a hopper wherein the hopper is isolated from the other components of the apparatus. The apparatus and method are adapted to generate a decoupling point boundary that demarcates the total amount of particulate in the hopper into portions that are not fully supported and portions that are fully supported by the hopper. The particulate is in continuous contact with itself from the inlet to the outlet, with the particulate contained between the isolated hopper and the rest of the components of the system by a flexible coupling or some other method of containment. The invention has the advantages of higher accuracy, decreased cost and complexity, and greater reliability than other solid particulate weighing systems of the prior art, particularly when dealing with low density particulates.